1. The Canadian motto, A Mari Usque ad Mare, means “From sea to sea."

3. In 2010, an actuarial study determined that, on average, a strategic reserve of 40 million pounds would be necessary to avoid stock shortfalls due to poor harvests. Slightly more than 36 million pounds of maple syrup are currently stored in three different locations in Quebec. Last year, the Federation had to rent additional storage space to cater for the harvest surplus. The new Laurierville warehouse will now provide the required space to fulfil theGlobal Strategic Maple Syrup Reserve.

4. When you think of French in Canada you probably think of Quebec, and most of the French speakers in Canada do live there and speak what is known as Quebecois. But there is another dialect, Acadian French, which is largely spoken in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The two varieties differ in accent and certain words and phrases. Acadian French uses more terms derived from seafaring, and a number of old words now obsolete in France. The two varieties developed differently as the languages of separate 17th century French colonies (Canada and Acadia) with separate administrations.

5. The 1 800 O-Canada service provides general information on Government of Canada programs, services and initiatives and guidance on how to access them.
The service also provides information on alternative formats of reports and publications.
Telephone: 1 800 O-Canada (1-800-622-6232)
TTY: 1-800-926-9105
Within Canada, you can call toll-free from Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., local time.
If you are outside of Canada, go to Calling 1 800 O-Canada from abroad.

6. One of the Articles of Confederation of the U.S. states that if Canada asked to become a state, (they) would be automatically accepted into statehood.

7. Winterlude is an annual festival held in Ottawa, where Canadians celebrate the freezing temperatures and snow by throwing a winter themed party. The festival includes ice skating, ice sculptures, snow playgrounds and outdoor concerts.

8. Newfoundland and Labrador harvest icebergs that float over from Greenland to produce beer, vodka, wine, and beauty products.

To ensure that your rights are respected: In Canada, the Official Languages Act establishes the equality of English and French and grants you language rights. It is perfectly normal to insist that these rights be respected.

To report a problem: Complaints are an indicator of what’s happening in federal institutions. They help the Office of the Commissioner work with federal institutions to find solutions to problems.

To raise awareness in federal institutions: A lack of familiarity with or a misunderstanding of the requirements of the Official Languages Act is often the reason for non-compliance with language obligations. By filing a complaint, you are helping to make federal institutions aware of these issues and promoting a change in corporate culture.

My anti-racist bona fides

Although I was smeared on Tumblr by infamous bully Mikki Kendall and identitarian extremist K. Tempest Bradford (and thanks to the cozy relationship between Tumblr and Google, the smears show up in my search results), in fact I have a long history of opposing racism, and the evidence for the past 10 years is on this blog. Unhinged extremists like Kendall and Bradford don't care to know anything about the strangers they randomly smear. That's why they and the people who promote them like Verso books are horrible and don't help solve the problem of racism in the United States.